GARDEN Art DIY: Free Nesting Box Plans for Wild Birds

Free Nesting Box Plans for Wild Birds

Nesting boxes, or birdhouses as they are often called, provide shelter for mated birds to raise their offspring. But, it's not one size fits all: each bird species has different housing needs. Check out the plans provided here and build to suit your favorite backyard bird.

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Nesting Box Safety Tips

If you want to be certain you are helping and not harming wild birds, consider using proper nesting boxes instead of decorative or artsy (but not safe) birdhouses.

Birds in need of a place to lay their eggs are on a deadline. Your super cute, brightly-painted birdhouse might look like a good option for urgently-needed housing, but, later on when the eggs have hatched and the chicks are growing, it might cause a whole bunch of problems. I’ll explain more in the tips (below).

Proper nesting boxes are functional homes for nesting birds to raise their young. The best designs come from experts who have studied the habitat and behaviours of each specific species and designed to suit their abilities and needs. Each species nests differently in the wild and that is why each has its own style of nesting box as well. Plenty may choose a goofy home in a pinch, like a brightly-painted, decorative birdhouse with large entry holes, but it may not end well.

One main problem is, the size of the opening on the nesting box or birdhouse. The adult bird may be able to get in, but, if that hole is slightly large, it allows entry for other predators as well. If the opening is too small, once the babies are plump and ready to fledge, they may be too big to actually get out. Plus, bright colours attract all sorts of intruders.

This is the book I use for building nesting boxes: Easy Birdhouses & Feeders | Simple Projects to Attract & Retain the Birds You Want | Bird Watcher’s Digest

There are also free plans here at Empress of Dirt (see below).

YES

NO

Entry hole should be blocked to prevent birds from getting inside

Here are a few tips:

The nesting box should be designed for the specific species you want to attract. Unless you have magical powers, you should choose a species known to live in your region.
The dimensions and style of the box should be tailored for the species (and be sure to follow the instructions exactly).
Perches are rarely recommended on nesting boxes because birds do not need them and they enable predators. No perches!
Birds lay their eggs in nesting boxes. Once they hatch, the young birds live in there until they are old enough to leave (fledge). If your nesting box plans say to put rough wood on the inside of the box, do this. Eventually, those little birds must climb out on their own, and they need that rough wood surface for their feet to grab as they climb up and out.
Avoid paint and decorations. Nesting boxes should be made from plain, untreated wood for bird health and camouflage. You want it to blend into the environment.
Every nesting box needs a side panel or door that opens so it can be cleaned and disinfected at the end of each mating season.
If birds do nest in your decorative birdhouses (or other odd places), wait it out until the babies fledge, and then block off the holes so it doesn’t happen again. And then make a proper nesting box and put it in that location. The birds will thank you (with handwritten notes signed with birdy foot prints).

Chickadee Nesting Box

Bluebird Nesting Box

Wren Nesting Box

Add a predator block to keep your nesting birds safe

More Nesting Box Plans

These are the two books I use for making nesting boxes. Both have plans for a variety of bird species in the United States and Canada. They each contain helpful information about each species and recommendations for where to place the nesting boxes so they are both safe and attractive for the birds.

Easy Birdhouses & Feeders | Simple Projects to Attract & Retain the Birds You Want | Bird Watcher’s Digest

Audubon Birdhouse Book | Building, Placing, and Maintaining Great Homes for Great Birds

Bird Feeder Plans

I do not share many bird feeder projects because I find that most homemade feeders do not do a good job. They tend to be open-air designs where the seed is too easy for squirrels to get, plus, the exposure to the elements causes the seed to get damp and moldy. While they are not particularly pretty, I have favorite commercial feeders. They are safe, long-lasting, do not waste seed, keep squirrels out, and do a good job.